


A Life Never Lived is One Never Known

by Long_May_She_Reign



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Adventure, Bad asses, Betrayal, Guilt, Intrigue, Love (possibly), Mystery, Remorse, Romance, Strength, Tough, Trust? Who needs trust!, Uncertain endings, What will happen? Even I don't know., romance blossoms
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-13
Updated: 2016-05-13
Packaged: 2018-06-08 02:49:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6836002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Long_May_She_Reign/pseuds/Long_May_She_Reign
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some of you might think this is a fairytale. It's not. It's the story of a completely ordinary girl. She couldn't get any MORE normal, being a farmer. But when life turns tragic, she'll have to break out of that life and find a new way to live. No, this is not a fairytale. This is a tragedy, sprinkled with remorse, regret, guilt, betrayal, and death. It is a way of survival in a land that is cold and hard, where villains run rampant, and humans are at the bottom of the food chain. So, when Ade is forced into a world she always knew but never experienced, she will adapt. Because it is not a game here in the land of Skyrim, and you only have one shot at life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Life Never Lived is One Never Known

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! So, Ade and her family are Imperials. Boring, I know, but I promise that the story is anything but!

“Ade, no fair, your legs are longer than mine!” my little brother, Yolandro, whined as he struggled to keep up with me. He had been so young then. The sun had been bright in the sky, and all he had wanted to do was to play. It was simpler times. One could have never guessed what was coming, especially not me, a lowly and simple peasant farmer. I turned and caught my brother in my arms, swinging him up and around in the air so he screamed and kicked his legs in delight. He had always loved it when you threw him above your head like that- he said it made him feel like a giant. He was held towards the sky, like an offering for the Gods. If I had been paying attention, I would have seen, but I was only focused on his laughing face as I spun him around and around. I was only trying to be a good sister. I had no idea what was coming. My fate hung on the horizon like a wave in the ocean, ready to come crashing down around me. Yolandro’s would be the first to come. His fate would be quick and devastating. 

There was hardly any warning. I’m sure there were signs. A shadow on the ground, the sound of wind stirring as it was beaten by wings- the forest would have been devoid of chirping birds, or really any animal life. Now that I think back, I definitely saw a shadow out of the corner of my eye. To be fair, I never thought it was possible. All I knew were stories, tall tales that were said to have been made up long ago. That was the consensus for generations. I was aware of none of it. I didn’t notice anything was wrong until I heard the roar. People talk about how the dragon attacked Helgen, but what they don’t know is that it attacked us first. All at once my wave would crest, and reality would hit all around me.

Its roar rang out like thunder through the evening air, and the ground around me shook. I fell, landing on the ground with my brother clutched protectively in my arms, miraculously safe and unhurt. I rolled as I looked around for what could have made the noise. I wasn’t looking towards the sky. All the threats in this land came from the ground. 

“Sister, look out!” my brother squealed as he pointed and tugged my hand, tears of fear rolling down what had just a second ago been a happy face. I turned quickly and saw a terrifying form coming towards us, one made of nightmares and horrors. It was as black as the night, with eyes just as dark. Its claws were outstretched towards me, towards my brother, in a menacing way. I acted on instinct, scooping my brother into my arms and rolling. The dragon swooped over where I had just been, its claws tracing over the ground. It roared angrily as it veered up into the sky and twisted back around for another attack. I didn’t hang about to see what it would do next. Turning, I began running towards the trees. If we could just make it there, we could lose it. It wouldn’t be able to follow us into the tangle of trees and shrubs. 

Before we got anywhere close to the trees I realized we would never make it. Yolandro just couldn’t run fast enough. He needed a distraction if he had any chance of surviving. Turning to face the dragon, I scooped up a rock and ran away from my brother.  
“Keep running! OY, LIZARD!” I shouted as I chucked the rock at the dragon as hard as I could. 

It bellowed out angrily as it turned to face me. It had kept going after my brother, the easier prey. It came at me now, and I began running, cursing myself for not bringing my father’s bow. I wasn’t partial to it, only using it during times when I needed to go out by myself and it might be especially dangerous. All I had on me were my scimitars I had bought off the Alik’r when they came into town. They were cheap and better than steel swords, so why not. I could hear the dragon getting closer. I rolled to the side as it opened its mouth wide, sending out a hale of fire. It narrowly missed me. Coming up on my feet, I continued running. I could feel the dragon inhale air again- it was that close behind me. I turned and did the one thing I could think to do. I threw the scimitar at it like an axe. It went whirling through the air, hitting it in the chest. DAMN, I had been aiming for the head. These swords weren’t meant for throwing- I suppose I was lucky to hit it at all. I turned and kept running, not planning on sticking around to see what damage I had wrought, or how angry the dragon would be. It came after me, stretching out its claws like it wanted nothing more than to slice into my tender flesh piece by piece off of my bones, which it probably did. I heard the sound of rustling leaves and breaking branches, and knew that my brother had made it into the forest. I could feel the dragons hot breath on me. With a roar, it sent a wreath of flames reaching out until they engulfed me in their fiery heat. I screamed but endured it as I ducked out of the flames. I stabbed and poked my scimitars all over the dragon, looking for an opening to get to the woods as I dodged claws, fangs, and fire. Finally, I found it. It landed on the ground and reared up above me. I took my scimitar and shoved it into its belly. It roared in pain as I made a mad dash for the woods, ignoring the pains and burns that radiated throughout my body. I gritted my teeth to ward off the agony. Pain was good. Pain I understood. It would fade with time, and for now, all I had to do was fight through it. I made it to the woods as a wave of flames broke over the trees behind me. My brother was waiting for me, clearly in view, further in by a towering tree. I rushed to him and grabbed his hand, pulling him along behind me as I looked towards the sky. 

“I told you to keep running!” 

“I couldn’t! What if you weren’t able to find me?”

“Just keep up.” I told him as I dragged him along behind me, fighting to get free of this forest. From above the dragon shot its flames down on us. I reached into the belt on my hip and pulled out a few vials from slots. “Here, take these. If you feel yourself getting weak then drink them.” 

I heard him fumbling with them, and I slowed down so he wouldn’t drop any. This whole time I held one scimitar firmly in my hand, ready for any other animals that might attack. Trees shook above us as the dragon fought to try and get in, crying out its frustration as the trees stood strong. Please let it get tired before we run out of forest! I pleaded to all the Gods above. Please let us be safe! 

They weren’t listening on that day. The dragon stayed blocked from above, but from the depths of the forest I heard a growl. 

“Sis, it’s a-

“I know!” I said as I scooped him up and ran faster, ignoring the biting sting of the reaching branches and pricking thorns. We would make it. I knew these forests like the back of my hand. If I kept running I would reach the cliffside. And then, and then… I didn’t know what, but I couldn’t stay in the forest when there was a bloody cave bear chasing me! I had been counting on wolves, but nothing that serious. I was still depending on the dragon flying away. 

My arms were beginning to ache, and I was tired from running when I finally saw the break in the trees and heard the sound of the babbling river that let me know I was nearing my destination. I ran all the faster, ignoring the grime and the sweat, ever the more desperate to get there before something really bad happened. Both the dragon and the bear had followed my brother and me relentlessly. There was nothing left except to face them both, and hope, by some miracle, the bear and dragon ended up taking each other out instead of us. 

I charged out into the clearing, but the dragon was already there. It let out a blaze of fire as soon as I left, barely giving me time to react. I threw my brother to the side just in time, but now I was in the middle of a deadly stream of fire, and a tough cave bear. I was attacked on both sides, with no way out. As the bear buffeted me with its claws and the fire came pouring over, licking my skin and warping it into a twisted version of what it used to be, I tried to roll to the side, only to be stopped by the bear. Soon it was all I could do to keep a lucid mind and not writhe in agony. I had to think of Yolandro. I began drinking the potions that I had left like they were ale, my mind telling me over and over again that I had to stay alive, I just had to. I ran out of potions. This was it- my end. I had to tell you, as a lowly farmer, I never dreamed this big. I thought that when I died, it would be in my bed, of old age. Poor, yet having lived a long life. Here I was, young, being burned alive like a staked skeever. Poor, innocent me. Just as I had given up, done fighting my fate, my brother gave a shout and jammed his sword, his wooden sword I had bought him on his birthday this year, into the bears side, placing himself in danger yet again. The bear roared, giving me the opportunity I needed. I rolled to the side and scooped up my brother in my arms, stumbling towards the cliff. We would jump, and fall, and the river would catch us. It was a bit too high for someone Yolandro’s age to make, but it would be okay, because I would protect him. I would shield his body with mine on our way down, and he would survive. He would make it to Helgen, and he would warn them, then all would be well. I had to just get- 

As I was running towards the cliff, the dragon stomped its foot in front of me, giving out an angry roar. I was weak, and unaware of what was going on around me. I fell, and lost my grip on my brother. We rolled away from each other, ever further away. I cried as I tried to stop myself, but I couldn’t, I couldn’t, not this time. My limbs had finally given in. Whatever it was that had kept me going was gone. I watched as the ground split open from the force of the dragons stomp. Cracks spread out across the cliff. I hadn’t realized how close I had been to the edge, until now. As I fell with the rocks that had once held me up, debris all around me, my last sight was of the dragon victoriously ripping my brother apart. I hit the water below me and was ripped away in a cold whirlwind of death and despair.

 

Everything ached when I woke up. From my tiniest pinkie bone to my head, which rung like the bells of my temple were singing out their chorus in the confines of my mind. I groaned as I tried to sit up, failing miserably. I didn’t have the strength to move when Yolandro… 

I sniffled back tears. This was my fault, which is why I would not cry. If I could have just made him understand- if I had only known they weren’t just stories. If I, if I, if I. It circled around and around in my head. There were a million of things that could have happened so that we could avoid this moment. So I owed it to my townspeople of Helgen to go on now and warn them. I didn’t have time to mourn. There were people to save. That was what I thought until I saw Helgen, my hometown. You know that moment where reality becomes too much and it cripples you? You build a fantasy world in your head to replace it. You make up a story and put all your faith in it so you can survive. You go insane to keep living. That’s what happened to me when I saw Helgen. The city destroyed, the people nothing but burnt corpses on the ground. Looters had already descended, going through what was left of the burnt husks of the once proud buildings. Even the stone buildings hadn’t been spared. They were torn asunder, the people in them helpless, their hands held up in one last futile attempt to protect themselves. Everyone was dead. That meant I had nothing. I don’t think anyone could blame me for breaking. I let the desire to give into the insanity and forget all that happened, if only for a moment, control me.

I lost a piece of myself that day, a piece I will likely never get back. From then on I was a changed person- and I would make sure the world, and especially dragons, would regret it. 

When I had finally woken up from where lay huddled against a tree, I picked up my remaining scimitar. I had plenty of potions, all of them unneeded. I had already healed long ago.

I forced myself to get up, achingly, slowly. Yolandro was dead, but I would mourn him later. There were living people I could save now. People in the world. I could not save my town, but I would save others. I descended on Helgen like a curse from Talos. I would begin by putting an end to these bandits.


End file.
